Universal’s Huge Mistake: ‘Bridget Jones’ Deserved a Theatrical Release

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Over the Valentine’s Day weekend of 2025, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” was unveiled globally, marking its entry as the fourth installment in the widely popular “Bridget Jones” movie series that debuted in 2001 with the lauded “Bridget Jones’s Diary.” However, for residents of North America, catching Bridget Jones’ latest escapade on the big screen was not an option. Instead, the film was exclusively distributed on the Universal streaming platform called Peacock. Unfortunately, it may have slipped under many people’s radars since its release seemed rather low-key and unassuming.

Initially, the thought of streaming “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” over Valentine’s Day weekend, allowing fans to enjoy it cozily at home with a bottle of wine and premium snacks, appeared like a smart move. However, in practice, it turned out to be a significant blunder.

In contrast to expectations, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” broke box office records in the U.K. and Ireland upon its release, generating $15.5 million during its first four days. This set a new record for the highest-grossing romantic comedy debut in the region, surpassing the previous record held by “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.”

Not only did “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” outperform “Captain America: Brave New World” at the U.K. box office, but it also stands tall with an impressive $32 million worldwide total.

Despite the fact that “Captain America: Brave New World” was expected to rule the North American box office during the Valentine’s Day/President’s Day weekend, Universal’s choice not to showcase “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” in theaters underscores a troubling pattern. Movie studios seem to lack confidence in romantic films’ ability to succeed on the big screen and instead opt for streaming releases. However, recent box office figures indicate that viewers are eager to watch love stories on the cinema screen.

What Was Universal Pictures Thinking With ‘Bridget Jones’?

The decision to publish Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy was influenced by the varying success of its predecessors at the box office. While Bridget Jones’s Diary, released in 2001, was a massive hit with a total gross of $334 million worldwide on a budget of just $10 million, both Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) and Bridget Jones’ Baby (2016) showed a decline in popularity. The former made $40 million domestically, matching its production budget, but the latter flopped in North America, earning only $24 million against a $35 million budget. However, it managed to recover in international markets with a total gross of $211 million worldwide, indicating that Bridget Jones has traditionally performed better overseas than in North America.

Despite having several factors that could boost its box office performance, the movie “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” had them in place. Notably, Renée Zellweger, who won her second Best Actress Oscar since the last Bridget Jones film, was one such factor. A clever marketing team might have capitalized on this achievement. The film is helmed by Michael Morris, a director renowned for his work on the critically acclaimed “To Leslie”. Hugh Grant, who’s seen a career resurgence with films like “Paddington 2”, “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”, “Wonka”, and “Heretic”, also returns to the franchise.

Brave New World”. Moreover, it also had the potential to capitalize on Galentine’s Day celebrations.

Mad About the Boy” would outshine “Captain America: Brave New World” at the box office. However, each film attracted a distinct audience, potentially leading to an increase in overall cinema-goers that weekend. Interestingly, Universal Studios seemed to overlook the potential pairing of action-packed “Captain America: Brave New World” with the romantic comedy “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”. It’s surprising that “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” might have earned a substantial box office return and could have taken the second spot from “Paddington in Peru”.

Romance Movies Keep Getting Sent to Streaming

Romantic comedies, once dependable sources of box office revenue, had a significant drop in popularity among general audiences by the 2010s. For instance, films like “Notting Hill” and “Runaway Bride,” released in 1999, each grossed over $100 million at the domestic box office. However, by 2016, movies like “Bridget Jones’ Baby” struggled to find success at North American theaters. This shift saw romantic comedies moving to streaming platforms as they began producing their own original films. Even though “Crazy Rich Asians” was a box office hit in 2018, that same year, Netflix released “Set it Up,” “To All the Boys I Loved Before,” and “The Kissing Booth” directly on their platform. These movies would have been successful in theaters before, but now, audiences can watch them at home, contributing to the idea that romantic comedies are better suited for streaming services rather than the big screen, which is typically reserved for large-scale blockbusters.

The rapid pace of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this development, as it was thought that romantic dramas and comedies were cost-effective to produce and could swiftly be distributed on streaming services. However, in 2020, heartwarming films such as “Palm Springs”, “Happiest Season”, and “The Half of It” became essential viewing alternatives during a theaterless year. Interestingly, even five years down the line, romantic movies starring big names are still released directly onto streaming platforms without much fanfare, something that would be unheard of in other genres.

Movies such as “The Idea of You” starring Anne Hathaway, “Upgraded”, “Música”, “Rye Lane”, “Look Both Ways” with Lili Reinhart, and “I Want You Back” featuring actors like Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Scott Eastwood, Gina Rodriguez, Manny Jacinto, and Clark Backo could potentially have garnered good box office numbers if given the opportunity. However, a detrimental loop has formed where studios refrain from releasing romantic films in theaters because they doubt the audience’s interest, but this reluctance prevents them from being shown.

In other words, studios occasionally take a chance on romantic films, either high-concept or traditional rom-coms, and audiences usually respond positively, perhaps due to fond memories of the genre. For instance, Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum’s film “The Lost City” was reminiscent of adventure comedies like “Romancing the Stone,” earning $192 million globally. Similarly, George Clooney and Julia Roberts’ “Ticket to Paradise” offered a vacation romance with well-known stars, raking in $168 million worldwide. Interestingly, one of the recent box office surprises was “Anyone but You,” starring Sydney Sweeny and Glen Powell, which grossed an impressive $220 million against a budget of just $6 million. This suggests that theater-goers still enjoy romance movies. However, despite Glen Powell’s rising stardom, the steamy romance “Hit Man” was acquired by Netflix and overlooked on streaming platforms.

Despite a strong indication that moviegoers are eager for more romantic films, Universal Pictures opted to release the latest Bridget Jones installment on their streaming platform instead of the big screen, potentially passing up on significant revenue. However, this decision doesn’t diminish the film’s quality in any way. The new film, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, is a unique take on the franchise, offering less romance and more bittersweet moments, yet it maintains the same high-quality standard as Bridget Jones Baby and could potentially rank as the second-best film in the series, following closely behind the original iconic movie. You can now stream Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy on Peacock.

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2025-02-23 01:02